The Meditative Art Practice Of Abstract Artist Rebecca Bond

Houston-based artist Rebecca Bond creates stunning abstract paintings inspired by her spirituality and practicing daily meditation, which acts as a conduit for her self-expression. “It creates a safe space to explore your creativity. When I close my eyes and settle my mind, I am presented with so many ideas, and the colors are so vibrant and alive. When I finish, I’m compelled to put what I experience onto canvas. Everything I do, I want to reflect my deep devotion of Eastern philosophy and meditation,” explained Bond.

The artist exhibits her work in galleries and art shows throughout the Houston area and South Florida. Rebecca is a featured artist in the upcoming Reverie Art Show Great Gatsby Gala taking place on Sunday, February 23rd from 6-10pm at Chapman & Kirby in Houston, Texas. This incredible show supports the Peace of Mind Foundation. Reverie Art Show is a local art show supporting local artists and organizations. Their mission is to give the best experience for both the artists and attendees. It will be a fun night with a variety of art, vendors, dancers and music.

Rebecca Bond has been creating art in some form since childhood. Pencil art was her original focus, producing works on paper, and she eventually began venturing out trying new mediums. Having dabbled in oil and watercolor, Rebecca began using acrylics and fell in love. From her own words, “I love the flexibility of acrylics. You can work fast and move on to the next project fairly quickly.” She gets her inspiration from nature, her world travels and meditation. ‘Meditate and create’ is her mantra.

We recently had the pleasure to chat with Rebecca about her work and to learn more about her emerging art career and current projects:

Q – What is the best part about being an artist, how have you developed your career?

A – I have always been an avid drawer. I remember spending entire days drawing horses or other animals. Just really trying to get all the detail perfect. I stopped drawing at some point and picked it back up again in my 20’s, eventually to create art pieces for my home or for family as gifts. I started painting a few years ago and it’s just grown from there. I have painted in oil, watercolor and more recently in acrylics. I do love watercolors pencils, they are a blast to work with, difficult but fun. But Acrylics give you so much flexibility. I love how quickly I can move to the next project. What I love best about art is that it provides an escape from the worries in life. You can completely disconnect from the world, listen to some music and get lost in your imaginary world. Besides meditating, I cannot find a better to way to ‘not over-think’ than painting a canvas. I get immersed into what I am trying to project. If I have something to work out in my life, I am usually working it out on the canvas. This is why I don’t stick to one style. I like so many different styles. I push myself to try new things. I don’t want to get stagnant and relegated to one genre. I cannot project my feelings and my story on a canvas unless I am showing all the many facets of who I am as a person.

Q – Where does your inspiration come from?

A – From meditating, from travel, from nature or from my life. I have a great story, with so many colorful experiences to share. I have a treasure trove of personal experience that I can use as an influence in my work. I also love to visit museums and galleries, it’s good to see what the masters created, figure out their methods and study them. It’s also beneficial to visit galleries to see what is new and upcoming. This way you see what the trends are.

Q – You have a very unique style of work, can you tell us about your process?

A – Thinking about how you want your final product to look does take some planning. I usually start with what the thoughts of what my series will be. Then I plan out each individual piece. Each piece has multiple layers, I like to really build up the canvas, create some depth and texture. Add a few little “Easter Eggs” as I call them. Sometimes it comes out just as I had planned, other times it takes on a life of its own. I just try to go with what feels good. If I don’t like the direction I am taking, then I correct it and keep going. If I am stuck, well, I just move onto another painting. I try not to get stuck on perfection.

Q – Is there an artist (past or present) who you admire most, or who may have influenced your style?

A – Oh yes, I love Gustav Klimt, Monet, Van Gogh. Their work was so vibrant and alive. I feel like I may combine things from all three. Zao Wou-Ki, Georgia O’Keefe, Mark Rothko, Kandinsky are also all big influences.

Q – How do you navigate the art world, are there any trends you follow?

A – Honestly, I have no idea what I am doing! I just follow my heart and listen to my head from time to time. I do what feels good and looks good to me. I do work my social media quite a bit. I like to use the tools available to me. I built my own website. I am always researching, trying to figure things out. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. You must take it in stride and keep going. There are so many more opportunities out there these days. You must put the time and effort into it. I work a day job as well, so I devote 4 hours a day during the week and the weekends to take care of my art business. You can’t be complacent. You must go for the things you want. And that is just all that we can do at the end of the day. Go for it!

Q – Can you tell us about your upcoming art show ‘Reverie’ that supports the Peace of Mind Foundation?

A – Yes, I am so excited about this show. It’s for a great cause. A portion of the proceeds go to the Peace of Mind Foundation which serves the mental health community. The show will have entertainment, dancing, and music. All the great things that make viewing art even better. I will be debuting some work from my new series, A Fragmented Life. This series represents the story of my life. I am excited to share of piece of my heart with the world. I plan to use a few different styles and blend them together, finally ending with a large statement piece. I have had a lot of enjoyment in creating this series. I can’t wait to see what the reaction is. It’s a different from my previous work.

To learn more about this fascinating artist, for sales, commissions, general inquires or future show information, email uncommonbondart@gmail.com and visit www.uncommonbondart.com